The second round of matches in the CONMEBOL FIFA World Cup Qualifiers is set to begin, and Chile is gearing up to face off against Colombia at Estadio Monumental David Arellano on Wednesday morning.
After suffering a defeat in their first qualifying match, the hosts currently find themselves in eighth place in the early stages of the competition.
On the other hand, their opponents made a winning start over the weekend and currently hold the fourth position.
Match Preview:
Chile enters this match on the back of a 3-1 loss to Uruguay, putting an end to their five-match unbeaten streak that included three wins and two draws, dating back to November last year.
Despite commanding 49% of possession at Estadio Centenario, Marcelo Bielsa’s side outplayed them. Goals from Nicolas de la Cruz and Federico Valverde gave Uruguay a three-goal lead before Arturo Vidal scored a consolation goal 15 minutes from fulltime.
Eduardo Berizzo’s side finished seventh in the previous qualifying campaign between 2020 and 2022. However, with the upcoming World Cup now allowing six teams from South America to qualify directly and the seventh team entering a playoff, Chile believes they have a real chance.
Historically, matches between these two sides have been tightly contested, with four of the last five games ending in a draw after 90 minutes.
Chile knows they must push for victory this time to stay in contention, given the challenging matches that lie ahead.
Colombia, on the other hand, started their qualifiers on a positive note, defeating Venezuela 1-0. Rafael Borre scored the only goal of the match a minute after half-time.
While Colombia secured the win, manager Nestor Lorenzo might feel they could have performed better. Despite dominating their opponents, they only managed to score once from 13 attempts.
Nevertheless, this victory extended their winning streak to five matches across all competitions, and they remain unbeaten in their last 12 matches since their defeat to Argentina in the previous edition of the qualifiers in February last year.
Although known for their attacking prowess, Colombia’s recent success has been built upon their solid defense. They have not conceded a goal in their last three matches and have kept clean sheets in five of their last seven games.
In the last World Cup qualifying campaign, Colombia narrowly missed out on a qualification spot. However, they finished four points ahead of Chile and won their previous encounter 3-1, albeit on home soil.
Chile’s Recent Form (World Cup Qualifying – South America): L
Chile’s Recent Form (all competitions): D W W W D L
Colombia’s Recent Form (World Cup Qualifying – South America): W
Colombia’s Recent Form (all competitions): D D W W W W
Team News:
36-year-old Arturo Vidal, who scored Chile’s only goal in the previous match, may replace Charles Aranguiz in the starting lineup.
Dario Osorio, who made an impact as a substitute, hopes to secure a spot in the starting 11, potentially replacing Alexander Aravena or Marcelino Nunez, both of whom were substituted against Uruguay.
Jhon Arias, who impressed against Venezuela by assisting Borre’s goal, is likely to retain his place in midfield alongside Jefferson Lerma.
Yerry Mina and Jhon Lucumi should continue their partnership in central defense, while James Rodriguez may replace Mateus Uribe in an attacking midfield role.
Possible Starting Lineup for Chile:
- Cortes
- Mehssatou
- Medel
- Marzipan
- Suazo
- Osorio
- Vidal
- Pulgar
- Brereton
- Nunez
- Valdes
Possible Starting Lineup for Colombia:
- Vargas
- Munoz
- Mina
- Lucumi
- Machado
- Arias
- Lerma
- Rodriguez
- Cuadrado
- Borre
- Diaz
Prediction: Chile 1-1 Colombia
While Chile suffered a defeat in their first match, they showed promising signs against a strong Uruguay team.
With time to analyze and rectify their mistakes, we anticipate a better performance from the hosts, resulting in a draw against Colombia and earning their first point in the competition.
